12:30 to 2pm. Weather: cold, dull & grey; easterly breeze.
Out to Mansfield Park in Chingford to get the 'scope on William Girling Reservoir where there is no public access. Although from the park the reservoir is probably a mile away it was possible to identify the birds on the reservoir with the 'scope & with my new 'scope, a Kowa TS-663 ED the dull light wasn't much of an issue either.
Green Woodpecker - flew off from the ground as I reached the top of the hill in the park.
Great Crested Grebe - the first species picked out from my far-off vantage point; most still in winter plumage but a couple of males with a breeding season crest.
Tufted Duck- the most numerous species on the water in a few flocks of several individuals.
Goldeneye - six to ten dotted about the margins of the reservoir.
Cormorant - a few fishing low in the water.
Great Northern Diver - the first target species I hoped to see, spotted next to one of the cormorants where its distinctive stocky, heavy-billed shape appeared in contrast. It soon submerged & despite waiting for it to reappear it didn't within my field of view. Later I saw another on a different part of the water.
Canada Goose, Coot - a few of each scattered in the water near to the far bank.
Black-Necked Grebe - the next target species & more difficult to pick out from so far away but I did eventually pick out the smaller, upright with steep forehead & generally darker colour, particularly on the neck, of a couple of this new species, a life tick. I saw about half a dozen at various points across the water with more likely to have been present but I was unable to pick them out from so far away. As I descended the park's hill I found another spot down the slope that gave better views of a closer section of the water where fortunately a couple of individuals were swimming through & I was able to get a nice view, even showing a passerby through the scope who asked what I was looking at.
Black-Headed Gull, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Herring Gull - several of each species, flying, swimming &/or washing in the water.
Mute Swan - 1.
Great to connect with the two target species in such a straightfoward manner. Although the viewpoint is very distant the new 'scope made fairly light work of it. However if/when I return for a second look I will spend much more time at the mid-way point up the park's hill as this gave a flatter, seemingly closer, perspective across the water & which made more of the light. Also nice to know that within 30 minutes of my inner city flat it is possible to see nationally important numbers of scarce species.
13 species, 1 new, 1 UK first.
Saturday, 23 January 2010
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Hampstead Cemetery, London, 10/01/2010
12:20 to 1:40pm. Weather: cold, grey, snow flurries & snow on the ground; slight Easterly breeze.
Patch visit to see if the harsh conditions had pushed anything different into the area. About an inch of snow lay all about & it was with the satisfying crunch of it underfoot that I made my way around.
Fortune Green Entrance:
Great Tit - 2 initially but the most frequently seen species.
Crow, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin.
Goldfinch - 3 over initially, several more seen later.
Green Woodpecker - 1 just off the main path, foraging in the snow before flying off. The same or another seen later, near the brambles, flew up from the ground & then off into the trees near the chapel.
Long-Tailed Tit - 2 feeding parties of several individuals seen.
Coal Tit, Blackbird.
South-side:
Sparrowhawk - what looked like a male cruised through, putting up woodpigeons & other birds in the vicinity.
Redwing - 3 over initially, up to 20 over &/or at various points in the cemetery.
Song Thrush - 1 possible quickly into shrubs, watched another foraging amongst a tree's branches as yet another sang nearby.
Chaffinch, Wren, Greenfinch, Blue Tit.
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1 flew north then again seen in the east-side.
UCL Sports Grounds:
Fieldfare - 1 over as I looked over the sports fields, then as I walked the east-side one alighted & rested in a nearby shrub where it took on a classic winter pose - a nice site tick.
Black-Headed Gull, Common Gull, Starling - all over the almost deserted snowbound field.
East-side:
Jay - flitted over the path to the remembrance garden.
Goldcrest - 1 heard in the eastern sector.
24 species.
Patch visit to see if the harsh conditions had pushed anything different into the area. About an inch of snow lay all about & it was with the satisfying crunch of it underfoot that I made my way around.
Fortune Green Entrance:
Great Tit - 2 initially but the most frequently seen species.
Crow, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Robin.
Goldfinch - 3 over initially, several more seen later.
Green Woodpecker - 1 just off the main path, foraging in the snow before flying off. The same or another seen later, near the brambles, flew up from the ground & then off into the trees near the chapel.
Long-Tailed Tit - 2 feeding parties of several individuals seen.
Coal Tit, Blackbird.
South-side:
Sparrowhawk - what looked like a male cruised through, putting up woodpigeons & other birds in the vicinity.
Redwing - 3 over initially, up to 20 over &/or at various points in the cemetery.
Song Thrush - 1 possible quickly into shrubs, watched another foraging amongst a tree's branches as yet another sang nearby.
Chaffinch, Wren, Greenfinch, Blue Tit.
Great Spotted Woodpecker - 1 flew north then again seen in the east-side.
UCL Sports Grounds:
Fieldfare - 1 over as I looked over the sports fields, then as I walked the east-side one alighted & rested in a nearby shrub where it took on a classic winter pose - a nice site tick.
Black-Headed Gull, Common Gull, Starling - all over the almost deserted snowbound field.
East-side:
Jay - flitted over the path to the remembrance garden.
Goldcrest - 1 heard in the eastern sector.
24 species.
Friday, 1 January 2010
Heacham Manor Hotel, Heacham, Norfolk, 01/01/2010
10am. Weather: bright, sunny & freezing cold.
Barn Owl - my first bird of the year & the new decade & my favourite one. Kim & I saw one quartering the golf course when we checked-in for new year's eve & as we sat at breakfast the next day we had a good view of another as it did the same, before flying off behind the trees & further out onto the course towards Hunstanton.
Barn Owl - my first bird of the year & the new decade & my favourite one. Kim & I saw one quartering the golf course when we checked-in for new year's eve & as we sat at breakfast the next day we had a good view of another as it did the same, before flying off behind the trees & further out onto the course towards Hunstanton.
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
RSPB Buckenham Marshes, Norfolk, 29/12/2009
3 to 4:30pm. Weather: cold, grey, windy.
From Cantley I headed back down the road to Buckenham where I hoped to walk to the hide & back for the roost in the remaining light. Unfortunately I'd overestimated the time left & as the light faded I walked just to the riverbank.
Barn Owl - I was alerted to an 'owl' almost as soon as I started walking the path, & was treated to a nice close-up view as it rapidly quartered the field & crossed the path before flying back & away behind the copse.
Snipe - put up by the barn owl, it flew quickly away.
Greylag Goose - several scattered about the marshes feeding, but also large skeins in the distance beyond the hide. There may have been some white-fronts in the skeins but I couldn't pick out any lightness about the bill in the poor light.
Canada Goose - a large flock feeding in the middle of the marshes.
Mute Swan - a few also feeding on the marshes.
Taiga Bean Goose - I almost immediately noticed another group of geese, that I was now fairly familiar with. I enjoyed more views of another approx. 20 as they fed on the marshes, marginally closer than the ones I'd seen on Cantely Marshes.
Wigeon - very large flocks, whistling & many feeding close to the path, unpeturbed by the people who were about.
Marsh Harrier - one female.
Linnet - 6 at first but then over 20 flying back & forth above the scrub adjacent to the path. When I returned from the riverbank I heard a cacophony of their gentle chirping from what appeared to be a significant roost.
Kestrel - whizzed through.
Mallard, Woodpigeon, Fieldfare, Pheasant (heard).
Jackdaw & Rook - by now it was dark & I could see distant flocks beginning to gather, as 'advertised'. I left the reserve, evidently the copse of trees on the reserve is not the roost, & headed up the hill from the train station as the flocks grew & grew into a swirling mass above the trees over Buckenham village. The amazing sight has been described far better than I can manage here but it was hugely impressive as flights of corvids swept in overhead from various parts of the countryside to join the roiling mass above the trees. The sound of their calling was such that individual calls soon became indistiguishable & the cumulative affect was of a sound like water bubbling over gravel. The awesome sight & sound continued above the treeline for 10 minutes or so before the flock eventually began to settle. Soon there were none left in the air but the calling carried on for minutes more before that also began to diminish. An incredible sight & one that several other people had ventured out to see, & one I'd like to see again someday.
After the north Norfolk coast this is my favourite area of the county, well worth the drive, a gem of a spot with special wildlife.
16 species.
From Cantley I headed back down the road to Buckenham where I hoped to walk to the hide & back for the roost in the remaining light. Unfortunately I'd overestimated the time left & as the light faded I walked just to the riverbank.
Barn Owl - I was alerted to an 'owl' almost as soon as I started walking the path, & was treated to a nice close-up view as it rapidly quartered the field & crossed the path before flying back & away behind the copse.
Snipe - put up by the barn owl, it flew quickly away.
Greylag Goose - several scattered about the marshes feeding, but also large skeins in the distance beyond the hide. There may have been some white-fronts in the skeins but I couldn't pick out any lightness about the bill in the poor light.
Canada Goose - a large flock feeding in the middle of the marshes.
Mute Swan - a few also feeding on the marshes.
Taiga Bean Goose - I almost immediately noticed another group of geese, that I was now fairly familiar with. I enjoyed more views of another approx. 20 as they fed on the marshes, marginally closer than the ones I'd seen on Cantely Marshes.
Wigeon - very large flocks, whistling & many feeding close to the path, unpeturbed by the people who were about.
Marsh Harrier - one female.
Linnet - 6 at first but then over 20 flying back & forth above the scrub adjacent to the path. When I returned from the riverbank I heard a cacophony of their gentle chirping from what appeared to be a significant roost.
Kestrel - whizzed through.
Mallard, Woodpigeon, Fieldfare, Pheasant (heard).
Jackdaw & Rook - by now it was dark & I could see distant flocks beginning to gather, as 'advertised'. I left the reserve, evidently the copse of trees on the reserve is not the roost, & headed up the hill from the train station as the flocks grew & grew into a swirling mass above the trees over Buckenham village. The amazing sight has been described far better than I can manage here but it was hugely impressive as flights of corvids swept in overhead from various parts of the countryside to join the roiling mass above the trees. The sound of their calling was such that individual calls soon became indistiguishable & the cumulative affect was of a sound like water bubbling over gravel. The awesome sight & sound continued above the treeline for 10 minutes or so before the flock eventually began to settle. Soon there were none left in the air but the calling carried on for minutes more before that also began to diminish. An incredible sight & one that several other people had ventured out to see, & one I'd like to see again someday.
After the north Norfolk coast this is my favourite area of the county, well worth the drive, a gem of a spot with special wildlife.
16 species.
Cantley Marshes, Norfolk, 29/12/2009
1:30 to 2:30pm. Weather: cold, grey, light breeze (NE).
Ever since first visiting the Yare Valley in Easter 2008 I had wanted to return especially after reading Crow Country which describes the amazing corvid winter roost. A speciality of the area also gave me reason to return & armed with Lee Evans's Ultimate Site Guide I found my way to the Cantley Sugar Factory & walked out past The Reedcutter pub along the river to look across the marshes, still in the shadow of the factory.
Black-Headed Gull, Lapwing, Starling, Mute Swan.
Fieldfare - a lone bird low down in the hedgerow.
Mallard & Wigeon - on the river.
Taiga Bean Goose - the bird I had come to see, they were fairly easy to pick out feeding peacefully on the marsh. There 12 to 20 & were identified from large size but obviously dark head & lower-parts, also a few individuals obligingly flapped their wings revealing a dark upper surface, diagnostic from greylag. I enjoyed watching them for several minutes, they oblivious to me before moving off for some lunch.
Great Spotted Woodpecker - flew from the marshes into a nearby copse.
Buzzard - flapped over.
Pied Wagtail (over)
Marsh Harrier - quartered near the bean geese.
Woodpigeon, Wren.
14 species, 1 new species.
Ever since first visiting the Yare Valley in Easter 2008 I had wanted to return especially after reading Crow Country which describes the amazing corvid winter roost. A speciality of the area also gave me reason to return & armed with Lee Evans's Ultimate Site Guide I found my way to the Cantley Sugar Factory & walked out past The Reedcutter pub along the river to look across the marshes, still in the shadow of the factory.
Black-Headed Gull, Lapwing, Starling, Mute Swan.
Fieldfare - a lone bird low down in the hedgerow.
Mallard & Wigeon - on the river.
Taiga Bean Goose - the bird I had come to see, they were fairly easy to pick out feeding peacefully on the marsh. There 12 to 20 & were identified from large size but obviously dark head & lower-parts, also a few individuals obligingly flapped their wings revealing a dark upper surface, diagnostic from greylag. I enjoyed watching them for several minutes, they oblivious to me before moving off for some lunch.
Great Spotted Woodpecker - flew from the marshes into a nearby copse.
Buzzard - flapped over.
Pied Wagtail (over)
Marsh Harrier - quartered near the bean geese.
Woodpigeon, Wren.
14 species, 1 new species.
NWT Roydon Common, Norfolk, 28/12/2009
3:20 to 4:30pm. Weather: cold, bright, fading sunshine to dusk.
I ventured out into the plummeting temperatures for something I should probably have done ages ago - observe the raptor roost. Always an enhanting place to visit, no less in the gathering gloom of a freezing winter's night.
Magpie, Crow.
Rook & Jackdaw - making up a sizeable & noisy roost.
Mallard - 4 circled around but did not settle.
Pheasant (heard), Curlew (heard).
Hen Harrier - out of nowhere a male appeared far off, quartering the heath. An amazing bird even at distance it was joined by another male & they both settled quite quickly on the ground where they looked ready to roost. Unfortunately for them a couple of Roe Deer moved right through their chosen spot which unsettled them briefly, though they quickly found another spot & I lost them in the gloom.
Red-Legged Partridge - after I sighted the first harrier, something spooked a couple of partridge which flew off loudly.
I ventured out into the plummeting temperatures for something I should probably have done ages ago - observe the raptor roost. Always an enhanting place to visit, no less in the gathering gloom of a freezing winter's night.
Magpie, Crow.
Rook & Jackdaw - making up a sizeable & noisy roost.
Mallard - 4 circled around but did not settle.
Pheasant (heard), Curlew (heard).
Hen Harrier - out of nowhere a male appeared far off, quartering the heath. An amazing bird even at distance it was joined by another male & they both settled quite quickly on the ground where they looked ready to roost. Unfortunately for them a couple of Roe Deer moved right through their chosen spot which unsettled them briefly, though they quickly found another spot & I lost them in the gloom.
Red-Legged Partridge - after I sighted the first harrier, something spooked a couple of partridge which flew off loudly.
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